How to Start Planning Your Honeymoon

Without getting totally overwhelmed by the options.

By Alyssa Brown, Martha Stewart

With all the blogs, newsletters, and advertisements inundating our feeds with travel wanderlust, it's easy to see how any couple could have a hard time coming up with the perfect honeymoon plan. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by a whole globe full of options, here are a few quick tips that'll help you stop fretting and start planning your honeymoon.
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Determine your budget.

First and foremost, you'll want to decide on a budget for your honeymoon. Once you've come up with an overall number of what you can afford to spend, you can start breaking that down into daily expenses. This is helpful for narrowing down your options when you get to the point of booking flights and hotels. It's important to be realistic and also include meal estimates, baggage fees, taxis, an occasional splurge on a night out, and any other predictable expenses.

Decide what kind of adventure you're into.

While you may have individual preferences like beaches or mountains, there's likely a specific type of adventure you think you'd both enjoy together. Whether that's a foodie tour through the South of France, a meditation and yoga retreat in Bali, hiking Patagonia, or simply going on a road trip through the Grand Canyon, there's an adventure profile for every couple. Figure out what shared experiences you're both enthusiastic about and start ranking the ideas on a bucket list of sorts. Just because you can't accomplish everything on your honeymoon doesn't mean you won't get to it at another time.

Be realistic about travel dates and time of year.

Many couples are only able to take one or two weeks off for their honeymoon, so you'll have to factor that into the equation. Also keep in mind that other parts of the world, like Australia or New Zealand, may be in the middle of the opposite season, so you'll want to keep temperatures in mind. Be careful not to pack too many destinations into your itinerary, as that can quickly lead to both of you feeling more burnt out than calm and relaxed. Spending at least four days between travel days is usually a good window.
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Research, research, research.

You might consider hiring a travel agent for your honeymoon planning, and he/she can easily talk you through options based on your budget and adventure style. You may be the type to scope out online deals and DIY your itinerary. Either way, you'll have to start gathering ideas somewhere. Social media, travel magazines, friends' experiences, and even some blogs are helpful tools for inspiration. The Venue Report offers a searchable list of venues and hotels around the world that are both inspirational and aspirational, with lots of roundups and getaway guides that are honeymoon worthy.

Give yourself deadlines.

Similar to planning your wedding, it's helpful to break out the honeymoon planning and booking into a timeline with real deadlines. Since you're likely to be planning both the wedding and honeymoon simultaneously, putting a time cap on your research is something you'll thank yourself for while you're sitting on that remote island sipping on cocktails with your new spouse.

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